the red house mystery-第23章

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〃Are　we　going　to　watch；　him？〃　

〃Yes；　if　the　inspector　finds　nothing。〃　〃That's　good；〃　said　Bill。　

If　it　were　a　question　of　Cayley　or　the　Law；　he　was　quite　decided　as　to　
which　side　he　was　taking。　Previous　to　the　tragedy　of　yesterday　he　had　
got　on　well　enough　with　both　of　the　cousins；　without　being　in　the　least　
intimate　with　either。　Indeed；　of　the　two　he　preferred；　perhaps；　the　silent；　
solid　Cayley　to　the　more　volatile　Mark。　Cayley's　qualities；　as　they　
appeared　to　Bill；　may　have　been　chiefly　negative；　but　even　if　this　merit　lay　
in　the　fact　that　he　never　exposed　whatever　weaknesses　he　may　have　had；　
this　is　an　excellent　quality　in　a　fellow…guest　（or；　if　you　like；　fellow…host）　in　
a　house　where　one　is　continually　visiting。　Mark's　weaknesses；　on　the　
other　hand；　were　very　plain　to　the　eye；　and　Bill　had　seen　a　good　deal　of　
them。　

Yet；　though　he　had　hesitated　to　define　his　position　that　morning　in　
regard　to　Mark；　he　did　not　hesitate　to　place　himself　on　the　side　of　the　Law　
against　Cayley。　Mark；　after　all；　had　done　him　no　harm；　but　Cayley　had　
committed　an　unforgivable　offence。　Cayley　had　listened　secretly　to　a　
private　conversation　between　himself　and　Tony。　Let　Cayley　hang；　if　the　
Law　demanded　it。　

Antony　looked　at　his　watch　and　stood　up。　

〃Come　along；〃　he　said。　〃It's　time　for　that　job　I　spoke　about。〃　

〃The　passage？〃　said　Bill　eagerly。　

〃No；　the　thing　which　I　said　that　I　had　to　do　this　afternoon。〃　

〃Oh；　of　course。　What　is　it？〃　

Without　saying　anything；　Antony　led　the　way　indoors　to　the　office。　

It　was　three　o'clock；　and　at　three　o'clock　yesterday　Antony　and　Cayley　
had　found　the　body。　At　a　few　minutes　after　three；　he　had　been　looking　

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out　of　the　window　of　the　adjoining　room；　and　had　been　surprised　suddenly　
to　find　the　door　open　and　Cayley　behind　him。　He　had　vaguely　wondered　at　
the　time　why　he　had　expected　the　door　to　be　shut；　but　he　had　had　no　time　
then　to　worry　the　thing　out；　and　he　had　promised　himself　to　look　into　it　at　
his　leisure　afterwards。　Possibly　it　meant　nothing；　possibly；　if　it　meant　
anything；　he　could　have　found　out　its　meaning　by　a　visit　to　the　office　that　
morning。　But　he　had　felt　that　he　would　be　more　likely　to　recapture　the　
impressions　of　yesterday　if　he　chose　as　far　as　possible　the　same　conditions　
for　his　experiment。　So　he　had　decided　that　three　o'clock　that　afternoon　
should　find　him　once　more　in　the　office；　

As　he　went　into　the　room；　followed　by　Bill；　he　felt　it　almost　as　a　shock　
that　there　was　now　no　body　of　Robert　lying　there　between　the　two　doors。　
But　there　was　a　dark　stain　which　showed　where　the　dead　man's　head　had　
been；　and　Antony　knelt　down　over　it；　as　he　had　knelt　twenty…four　hours　
before。　

〃I　want　to　go　through　it　again；〃　he　said。　〃You　must　be　Cayley。　
Cayley　said　he　would　get　some　water。　I　remember　thinking　that　water　
wasn't　much　good　to　a　dead　man；　and　that　probably　he　was　only　too　glad　
to　do　anything　rather　than　nothing。　He　came　back　with　a　wet　sponge　and　
a　handkerchief。　I　suppose　he　got　the　handkerchief　from　the　chest　of　
drawers。　Wait　a　bit。〃　

He　got　up　and　went　into　the　adjoining　room；　looked　round　it；　pulled　
open　a　drawer　or　two；　and；　after　shutting　all　the　doors；　came　back　to　the　
office。　

〃The　sponge　is　there；　and　there　are　handkerchiefs　in　the　top　right…hand　
drawer。　Now　then；　Bill；　just　pretend　you're　Cayley。　You've　just　said　
something　about　water；　and　you　get　up。　

Feeling　that　it　was　all　a　little　uncanny；　Bill；　who　had　been　kneeling　
beside　his　friend；　got　up　and　walked　out。　Antony；　as　he　had　done　on　the　
previous　day；　looked　up　after　him　as　he　went。　Bill　turned　into　the　room　
on　the　right；　opened　the　drawer　and　got　the　handkerchief；　damped　the　
sponge　and　came　back。　

〃Well？〃　he　said　wonderingly。　

Antony　shook　his　head。　

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〃It's　all　different；〃　he　said。　〃For　one　thing；　you　made　a　devil　of　a　
noise　and　Cayley　didn't。〃　

〃Perhaps　you　weren't　listening　when　Cayley　went　in？〃　

〃I　wasn't。　But　I　should　have　heard　him　if　I　could　have　heard　him；　and　
I　should　have　remembered　afterwards。〃　

〃Perhaps　Cayley　shut　the　door　after　him。〃　

〃Wait！〃　

He　pressed　his　hand　over　his　eyes　and　thought。　It　wasn't　anything　
which　he　had　heard；　but　something　which　he　had　seen。　He　tried　
desperately　hard　to　see　it　again。。。。　He　saw　Cayley　getting　up；　opening　the　
door　from　the　office；　leaving　it　open　and　walking　into　the　passage；　turning　
to　the　door　on　the　right；　opening　it；　going　in；　and　then　…What　did　his　
eyes　see　after　that？　If　they　would　only　tell　him　again！　

Suddenly　he　jumped　up；　his　face　alight。　〃Bill；　I've　got　it！〃　he　cried。　

〃What？〃　

〃The　shadow　on　the　wall！　I　was　looking　at　the　shadow　on　the　wall。　
Oh；　ass；　and　ten　times　ass！〃　

Bill　looked　uncomprehendingly　at　him。　Antony　took　his　arm　and　
pointed　to　the　wall　of　the　passage。　

〃Look　at　the　sunlight　on　it；〃　he　said。　〃That's　because　you've　left　the　
door　of　that　room　open。　The　sun　comes　straight　in　through　the　windows。　
Now；　I'm　going　to　shut　the　door。　Look！　D'you　see　how　the　shadow　
moves　across？　That's　what　I　saw　the　shadow　moving　across　as　the　door　
shut　behind　him。　Bill；　go　in　and　shut　the　door　behind　you　quite　naturally。　
Quick！〃　

Bill　went　out　and　Antony　knelt；　watching　eagerly。　

〃I　thought　so！〃　he　cried。　〃I　knew　it　couldn't　have　been　that。〃　

〃What　happened？〃　said　Bill；　coming　back。　

〃Just　what　you　would　expect。　The　sunlight　came；　and　the　shadow　
moved　back　again　all　in　one　movement。〃　

〃And　what　happened　yesterday？〃　

〃The　sunlight　stayed　there；　and　then　the　shadow　came　very　slowly　
back；　and　there　was　no　noise　of　the　door　being　shut。〃　

Bill　looked　at　him　with　startled　eyes。　

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〃By　Jove！　You　mean　that　Cayley　closed　the　door　afterwards　as　an　
afterthought　and　very　quietly；　so　that　you　couldn't　hear？〃　

Antony　nodded。　

〃Yes。　That　explains　why　I　was　surprised　afterwards　when　I　went　into　
the　room　to　find　the　door　open　behind　me。　You　know　how　those　doors　
with　springs　on　them　close？〃　

〃The　sort　which　old　gentlemen　have　to　keep　out　draughts？〃　

〃Yes。　Just　at　first　they　hardly　move　at　all；　and　then　very；　very　slowly　
they　swing　to　well；　that　was　the　way　the　shadow　moved；　and　
subconsciously　I　must　have　associated　it　with　the　movement　of　that　sort　of　
door。　By　Jove！〃　He　got　up；　and　dusted　his　knees。　〃Now；　Bill；　just　to　
make　sure；　go　in　and　close　the　door　like　that。　As　an　afterthought；　you　
know；　and　very　quietly；　so　that　I　don't　hear　the　click　of　it。〃　

Bill　did　as　he　was　told；　and　then　put　his　head　out　eagerly　to　hear　what　
had　happened。　

〃That　was　it；〃　said　Antony；　with　absolute　conviction。　〃That　was　just　
what　I　saw　yesterday。〃　He　came　out　of　the　office；　and　joined　Bill　in　the　
little　room。　

〃And　now；〃　he　said；　〃let's　try　and　find　out　what　it　was　that　Mr。　Cayley　
was　doing　in　here；　and　why　he　had　to　be　so　very　careful　that　his　friend　Mr。　
Gillingham　didn't　overhear　him。〃　

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CHAPTER　XIII


The　Open　Window　

Anthony's　first　thought　was　that　Cayley　had　hidden　something；　
something；　perhaps；　which　he　had　found　by　the　body；　and　but　that　was　
absurd。　In　the　time　at　his　disposal；　he　could　have　done　no　more　than　put　
it　away　in　a　drawer；　where　it　would　be　much　more　open　to　discovery　by　
Antony　than　if　he　had　kept　it　in　his　pocket。　In　any　case　he　would　have　
removed　it　by　this　time；　and　hidden　it　in　some　more　secret　place。　Besides；　
why　in　this　case　bother　about　shutting　the　door？　

Bill　pulled　open　a　drawer　in　the　chest；　and　looked　inside。　

〃Is　it　any　good　going　through　these；　do　you　think？〃　he　asked。　

Antony　looked　over　his　shoulder。　

〃Why　did　he　keep　clothes　here　at　all？〃　he　asked。　〃Did　he　ever　change　
down　here？〃　

〃My　dear　Tony；　he　had　more　clothes　than　anybody　in　the　world。　He　
just　kept　them　here　in　case　they　might　be　useful；　I　expect。　When　you　and　
I　go　from　London　to　the　country　we　carry　our　clothes　about　with　us。　
Mark　never　did。　In　his　flat　in　London　he　had　everything　all　over　again　
which　he　has　here。　It　was　a　hobby　with　him；　collecting　clothes。　If　he'd　
had　half　a　dozen　houses